The present invention relates to an orthotic device for treatment of spinal disorders and particularly relates to a posterior lumbar lordosis orthotic device for adjustably bracing the back of an individual.
Orthotic devices for supporting and bracing an individual""s back are numerous, well known and effective for maintaining the stability of the spine and particularly the lumbar region. However, difficulties are encountered in fitting such orthotic devices to various individuals. For example, individuals have varying degrees of lordosis, as well as a wide variety of girths about their torsos. Also, orthotic devices are typically sized differently for male and female individuals. Even within one gender, however, there are varying degrees of lordosis and girths about the upper torso, waist and hip areas. A common problem has been to fit the orthotic device to the particular individual and the individual""s spinal curvature, as well as to accommodate the different sizes of individuals, i.e., girths about the torso including waists and hips.
It is possible to customize an orthotic device to an individual""s anatomy. This, however, involves significant expense. A variety of orthotic devices have been proposed and constructed for adjusting the girth about an individual""s torso but have not afforded differential growth adjustment to accommodate individuals of different upper torso, waist and hip sizes, keeping in mind that each individual has a unique girth and a unique lordosis. Consequently, there has developed a need for an orthotic device which is adjustable to accommodate an individual""s posterior lumbar lordosis, as well as differences in sizing between individuals of each gender and the unique anatomy of each individual.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an orthotic device which is adjustable to accommodate the unique lordosis and anatomy of individuals of both genders. To accomplish the foregoing, there is provided, in a preferred embodiment, an orthotic body having back and front panels and sides interconnecting the back and front panels for encompassing an individual""s torso. The back panel has upper and lower regions angularly related to one another generally corresponding to the posterior lumbar lordosis of an average individual. The average lordosis for individuals is about 10-20xc2x0. Lordosis is measured in degrees as the combined deviations of the upper and lower back regions from a vertical plane through the waist. The back panel is provided with an adjustment mechanism to alter the angle between the upper and lower regions of the back panel to shape the back panel to the unique and desired shape of an individual""s back (lordosis). The adjustment mechanism preferably includes a coupling extending between the upper and lower regions of the back panel and which coupling is adjustable to change the angle between the upper and lower regions, thereby adjusting the back panel uniquely to an individual""s lordosis. Particularly, the adjustment mechanism includes at least one rod, and preferably two rods, extending between reinforcements on respective upper and lower regions of the back panel. The rod, e.g., a bolt, has screw threads cooperable with mating screw threads on the back panel, to adjust the angle of the upper and lower regions relative to the vertical, i.e., to adjust to the individual""s lordosis.
Further, to accommodate various sizes and the different anatomies of individuals within each gender, the front panel is secured to at least one of the sides such that the gross girth of the orthotic body can be adjusted. Additionally, a pair of fastening elements vertically spaced from one another are provided between the front panel and at least one side such that the girth at different elevations along the orthotic device can be adjusted. For example, the girth at the waist of the individual can be reduced, while the girth along the hip region can be enlarged by a differential placement of the fasteners between the front panel and the one side. A secondary adjustment may also be made between the opposite side and the front panel to fine-tune the adjustment.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided an orthotic device comprising an orthotic body having back and front panels and sides interconnecting the front and back panels for encompassing an individual""s torso, the back panel having upper and lower regions angularly related to one another to simulate a posterior lumbar lordosis of the individual and an adjustment mechanism mounted on the back panel for adjusting the angular relation of the upper and lower regions of the device to enable the shape of the back panel to closely follow the shape of the individual""s back.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided an orthotic device comprising an orthotic body having back and front panels and sides interconnecting the front and back panels for encompassing an individuals torso, the back panel having upper and lower regions angularly related to one another to generally correspond to the posterior lumbar lordosis of the individual and one of the sides being attached to the front panel by a pair of generally vertically spaced fasteners cooperable between the one side and the front panel to adjust the girth of the body about the individual""s torso.